Staffer, multiple current and former Iowa players charged in sports betting investigation

Multiple members of the 2022 Iowa Hawkeyes football team are facing charges of records tampering as part of an investigation into sports wagering. A graduate assistant has also been charged.

Former players Reggie Bracy and Arland Bruce IV were hit with charges, according to KCRG’s Jack Lido. Neither is with the program anymore — Bracy transferred to Troy and Bruce headed to Oklahoma State over the offseason. Wide receiver Jack Johnson is still with the Hawkeyes, though, and was the third player to face charges. Iowa graduate assistant Owen O’Brien was also charged.

Tampering with records is classified as an aggravated misdemeanor, according to CBS2Iowa. NCAA rules state athletes who have “cumulative wagering activities that greatly exceed $800” could be looking at a loss of eligibility. Those rules were announced June 28 retroactive to May 2.

Bracy allegedly placed bets on eight Iowa games, including two football games in which he played, according to Lido. Johnson, meanwhile, allegedly bet on “at least 11” Iowa basketball games while Bruce bet on 19 football games. He bet the under on two games — an October 2022 game against Northwestern and the Music City Bowl against Kentucky.

Court filings showed Johnson placed more than 480 bets, totaling $2,500 and included four Iowa football bets, according to Iowa News Now’s Mitch Fick. O’Brien wagered more than 350 times — more than $3,000 worth of bets — and placed three Iowa football bets in 2022. Bruce bet $4,300 across 132 bets and placed wagers on 12 Iowa football games — six in 2021 and six in 2022 — while Bracy placed $715 worth of bets across 66 wagers, including two on Iowa football in 2022.

“These charges stem from an extensive investigation by the DCI,” Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said, via KCRG. “The investigation is ongoing, and we are committed to ensuring a thorough and fair process.”

Bruce played a key role on offense for Iowa last year, ranking fourth on the team with 187 receiving yards and a touchdown before entering the transfer portal. On defense, Bracy had four tackles across 10 games while Johnson didn’t register a stat in four appearances.

The Hawkeyes and Iowa State are both under investigation as part of the sports wagering scandal. Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers was previously charged as a result of the investigation, according to the Des Moines Register. A complaint filed in court showed Dekkers bet on a 2021 football game against Oklahoma State when he was the backup quarterback for the Cyclones.

Along with that bet, Dekkers allegedly placed 25 other bets on Iowa State sporting events. Dekkers’ DraftKings account alleged completed upwards of 350 sports wagers total more than $2,799. He could permanently lose eligibility under NCAA guidelines for betting.

On3’s Andrew Graham contributed to this report.